We believe in the power of purposeful connections and reflection as students navigate their transition to Lehigh. Through this 10-week program students will develop a relationship with a faculty or staff member and a student peer leader. They will be exposed to a multitude of learning experiences Lehigh has to offer outside the formal classroom setting and be connected with resources to help them thrive and be successful as members of the Lehigh community. Students will set the course, create goals and develop an action plan and faculty/staff will collaborate with students by asking good questions, prompting reflection, and aiding students to find resources for success.
Students will be required to:
- Meet with a faculty/staff member at least twice for 30 minutes (once in September and October). These meetings will help students set academic and personal goals, consider resources for success, and encourage thoughtful reflection around bLUeprint’s 5 Foundations for Success.
- Meet with their Orientation group and check in with their Orientation Leader at least twice (once in September and October). These meetings are a great place to ask questions, discuss concerns and challenges, and explore campus issues early in the transition with other students who are skilled at navigating Lehigh.
- Attend 5x10 programming. Students will attend at least 5 programs in the first 10 weeks to expose students to the multitude of co-curricular learning opportunities at Lehigh. Faculty and staff will encourage reflection as they select the 5x10’s they will attend and their learnings afterwards to maximize their experience. A full calendar of programs will be available by mid-September.
- Select their own faculty/staff collaborator. Students will receive short bios and an opportunity to select the collaborators they would like to meet with during Orientation. Orientation leaders will guide them through this process. Students will be randomly assigned if they do not sign up by the deadline.
- Create a bLUeprint to submit to their faculty/staff collaborator for the opportunity to be entered into a drawing for incentives (IE. money towards books for the next semester, a giftcard for professional attire, etc.). To be considered students would need to meet with their faculty/staff collaborator to share their bLUeprint with a small group of students and submit a 1 sentence reflection on their experience.
- Faculty/staff collaborators must have a bachelor’s degree.
- Training will be required of all faculty/staff and will cover bLUeprint, Lehigh resources and coaching skills. Check-in meetings may also be required at the beginning and end of the program.
- Faculty/staff will be responsible for tracking the progress of their assigned students and report back to the Director of First-Year Experience.
- Upon completion of required trainings and meetings with students, faculty/staff will receive a $400 stipend.
The registration form will be available in April 2022 and due by May 27, 2022.